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Join host, Tuck Choate, and executive pastor, Bennett Holloway, as they discuss Temple Church's Sunday sermons in more detail, explore everyday application of biblical truths, and answer listener questions - all to help you strengthen you in your spiritual walk. Expect meaningful conversations that will encourage you in your faith journey.
Tuck Choate 0:08
Welcome temple family and friends. We're so glad to have you joining us for another episode of Temple talk. This podcast aims to engage our faith community through thoughtful biblical discussions centered on God's word. Our goal is to explore Scripture together to discover the wisdom that has for our lives. In this podcast, we'll be diving deep into God's truths and discussing how they impact our daily living. We're eager to unpack the riches of the Bible with you all our extended church family. And now here's Welcome to simple family and friends. We welcome you to another week here at Temple talk. As always, I am your host touchwo Joined by the wonderful Bennett Holloway Bennett, how are you doing?
Bennett Holloway 0:48
I like your adjective. They're very gracious. I'm doing well. excited for Christmas is in the air. Let's just say that. And as we're stepping into December now at our church, as we're fixing our eyes on the manger, it's a lot of fun. I enjoy all the things that surround the season at our church, and in our lives and in our home. And so it's one that's built full of memories, and we're establishing some as a family. So it's a great season. And it's a great day to be alive. How are you doing?
Tuck Choate 1:22
We're doing really well. We are getting over a little bit of sickness in our house. But we have, we have our tree up, we have people around us. And we are getting close to the end of work for a few weeks, which is very exciting.
Bennett Holloway 1:40
In the year strong.
Tuck Choate 1:43
So yesterday, Dr. Ewart walked us through what he called the fullness of time, the perfect plan, and he was building us up to see how Jesus's birth came at the exact right time to fulfill a lot of different things to move us forwards into into this this sovereign orchestration of history to prepare the way for for Christ and for all the things that we do. So I know that you had you had a few notes from this, what were some of the things that were your favorite parts about this? I know there's so many so many things about this. Yeah,
Bennett Holloway 2:24
so this topic in general is one that always excites me, I end up leaning a little more towards my geeky side, when it comes to when it comes to studying the fact that Christ stepped down, and why this event that took place means so much more than recognizing a baby in a manger. And so it's been a lot of fun, not only to study this in my own life, but also to begin sharing with my kids more and more about the awesomeness, how it generates all in seeing all the things that took place, not just the coming of a baby. And so Jesus being both man and God, and being born of Mary, and so quite literally was his perfect plan. And so we see in Scripture that before the beginning of time, we knew that in this conversation that Calvary was inevitable. When you see that, in that message, we see that Jesus, before he was actually born, we get this context in the book of Hebrews of Jesus explaining a comprehension and understood destination of a broken body and a sacrifice for his people. But the day before he was born, doctor you were described on Christmas Eve, he had this conversation, and then we see him coming. And so if I could just summarize the first portion of the message, it's God's plan was perfect, prophetically, historically, linguistically, philosophically, intellectually, physically and spiritually. And some of them are incredible. And I strongly encourage, if you haven't listened to his message, to go back and listen to it, some of the standouts for me, that I've always thought, are so exciting and fun. And I'll probably sit just a little bit on these. I'll be a little bit more long winded, just because I think it's such an interesting bit of information that we all can know. So God's plan was perfect. And so this in the fullness of time passage, I'm going to read it to you, I'm going to read out of the NASB. But it's in Galatians, four, four, it says, But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman who born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons, because you are sons God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son and a son than an heir through God. Praise Him, Lord. Okay, so sitting there, and he's walking through these the seven criteria that he used to describe the plan of God as absolutely perfect. So to describe when the fullness of time came, the perfect moment, and of all of eternity, where Jesus Christ would step down and be born of Mary, he described it, or the first one, he goes with his prophetically and I like this one, because prophetically, it almost is it is exemplifying the divine sovereignty of God. I think, historically, linguistically, philosophically, intellectually, physically, some of these that one could say, were circumstantial, but but but this one in particular, it is so complex, the number of variables that were required for it to be perfect. In the fullness of time, it's almost immeasurable. And I want to, I want to try to describe that, okay, you're ready. So we learned that there's over 300 prophecies of Jesus's first coming that we see were perfectly fulfilled. And let's just, let's just take. And the way that we go about this, is, let's take all let's take all the ones that we could, that I guess you would describe them as things that weren't in Jesus's power to accomplish the prophecies of the coming Messiah. So anything that came around Jesus, that we're fulfilled of him in prophecies from the Old Testament, if we whittled it down to just these eight, I'm gonna list eight out, and then we're going to talk about the statistical probability of the timing for everything to be exactly as prophesied hundreds and even 1000s of years earlier. In the Bible, so one, Micah five to the Messiah was going to be born in Bethlehem. So Jesus didn't have control over where he was born. Okay, so that's one of them. Number two, Zechariah 1112 through 13, when Jesus came, He was inevitably betrayed. For 30 pieces of silver, he didn't have control over how much Judas would be betraying him for free, the Messiah is close, or gambled away, Psalm, Psalms 2218. For the Messiah, his hands and feet would be pierced, Psalms 2216. The next one is, number five, the Messiah is bones would be broken, Psalms 3420. The next one's six, the Messiah would be born into the tribe of Judah. And that's Isaiah 3731. The next one's Hosea 11, one he would, he would be called the Messiah would be called, from Egypt, paralleling the story of Moses, right. And then number eight, that's in Hosea 11, one and then number eight, the Messiah, the Messiah would be buried in a rich man's grave. That's Isaiah 53, nine. So when you look at all the prophecies of Jesus Christ describe in the Old Testament, and you just take these, and these are ones that really weren't in his control him riding on a donkey into Jerusalem that was prophesied. But he chose to sit on the darkness. So one could argue that he, let's say, if you're a pessimist, or you were being critical and trying to disprove a prophecies, let's take all the ones out that really he had a lot of control over, let's just use the ones that people did to him, or the ones that had to do with his birth, or where he was buried when he was dead. Right? We take these eight, right, out of the 300 letters, we don't, let's say those are the only eight that were fulfilled. The odds of all eight of these coming true, are ridiculous. And let me let me give it to you in a way that I guess is a visual. So if you take the entire state of Texas, all right, and it and you fill it with 100 trillion silver dollars, that is the entire footprint of Texas, two feet deep, okay. And you take one of those silver dollars and market, throw it into the state of Texas and stir that bad boy up, ready, then you take tuck, put them in a blindfold, and tell him to walk the state of Texas whenever he feels ready, bend over pick up a one silver dollar and the probability that he would pick up that one mark silver dollar out of the entire state of Texas failed two feet deep after being completely stirred is the same probability of Jesus. Someone being born in the fullness of time accomplishing these things. The things that took these eight prophecies that were written about him before had all eight of these alone, let alone the other 300 that were being discussed. Right. And so God's plan was perfect. Just prophetically, let's lead into a moment of salvation like that's like that. Is that real to me? Is that right there is as a clear indication, and it's almost affirming to me of his sovereignty and his rule and his reign. And so when we look at his perfect plan, in the fullness of time, there was a moment that had to take place where they were waiting and waiting, almost the is described as the, the art the angels. Were waiting with bated breath in anticipation of the moment that Jesus Christ would step down. And so
just to put that in your mind, as an illustration of statistical probability on the prophecies of just eight of them, of Jesus Christ, and some of them having to do specifically with his birth, it was perfect. And it was at the fullness of time, and then going through the others, just historically, in terms of Boers, linguistically in terms of language, philosophically, in terms of people asking the questions, who am I, what is my purpose, people are beginning to think for themselves, intellectually, because of the way that they taught and disseminated knowledge, you'll see Paul and teachers, the apostles really benefiting off of the back of that infrastructure of education, town squares. And you'll see a lot of the churches that Paul establishes, are right there by the education centers of the modern world. And then, physically, the My favorite part of that is the roads. There was no connection physically, until Rome got to that point in the history of mankind. And so that was the moment that he came. And so walking through all of those, and you need to listen to the message. But these things are the very things such as Sturmey up whenever we sit and contemplate that phrase, but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son. And so, man, his plan was perfect. And and I think what that brings me to is this understood sovereignty of the Creator, as really Dr. Ewart began to handle that passage in Galatians. Four. But that was some of the big takeaways that I had, in his message, at least in the upfront portion. Yeah, it's
Tuck Choate 12:36
amazing how, how much contextually that small phrase has built into it. And I think it speaks to the glory of God, as you were saying, when we really dig into the historical context of the book that we have, that's known as the Bible to be able to see even just in this one thing, how, like you were saying the, the implications of Rome and how they had built an infrastructure, the, the way that their education and knowledge systems were set up, we can, as we dive into what we see in the Bible, you know, a lot of times we separate education versus biblical learning. But for them, it was one of the same, it was a concept that they could research and delve into with their, in the Old Testament, and what Paul and some of these other disciples were bringing them were ideas that they had never heard of put together in a way that was brand new, they had read it, they were scholars of the Old Testament, as I think we should be, too, because when we have that knowledge, it makes the New Testament makes Jesus that much more fulfilling and interesting, even, you know, just in these eight passages that we're seeing, that really just can explode your brain.
Bennett Holloway 13:58
Yeah, I think that that, that. It's beautiful to see. And this is where I'm, I'm passionate about. When, when I begin to understand and rightly see God for who he is and what he's done. It actually shifts my perspective of all things are through that biblical worldview of understanding. And so education for me, it is directly in line supported, affirmed and displayed in Scripture, but also through a biblical understanding of Scripture, I think in in every context of learning. I think that's interpersonally. I think that's individually, and I think that's academically, I think across the board. When whenever I study scriptures, it stirs me up because when I study things of the world, it always draws me back to Through the word. And so that's something for me personally, that's incredibly encouraging. And, and I know that even here at TCA, and our weekday preschool programs, we're constantly driving forward, this understood reality of who God is, what he's done, how he sees you, what's available, and what's in store for you as an individual in your personal relationship with Him. And so it's a blessing to get to be a part of a church that really gets to see that, and this this part of the year to really worship that and celebrate that as as a people that worship Jesus Christ as Savior.
Tuck Choate 15:36
Yeah, I think people in this day and age have lost so much of that understanding of a biblical worldview, where your knowledge of the Bible and who God is, ultimately should shape who you are, instead of having it be two separate things in your life.
Bennett Holloway 15:56
That compartmentalized Right, right. Yeah, I'm with you. I'm with you right there. And I think that, the way I know that the way that we overcome that is through surrender and study of His Word. Most of the time, that's a byproduct of a lack of understanding of the power of His Word, the inerrancy of His Word, the sovereignty of the Creator. And when we can get to a point of acknowledging and owning the fact that we've compartmentalized ourselves, whether that's to justify sin, or out of fear, and a lack of faith, or out of indifference towards studying the Word, once we can be, I guess, honest enough with ourselves and with the Lord, then we can start making a pathway forward on establishing a biblical worldview that actually defines what we see in the physical, because truth is, what's unseen. Truth, quite literally, is the spiritual. And so when we can kind of turn things upside down and see things through that lens. One, the byproduct oftentimes is peace, but surrender. And it is, it's a beautiful thing when we get to see the Lord show himself through all the things that we've read in Scripture and what we're going through in the season of life.
Tuck Choate 17:18
So let's dive a little bit. Now more specific to who Jesus is this this incarnation of him. I don't know, I'm gonna play devil's advocate just a little bit, because I think you can take it. So we see in the birth of Jesus, that He is fully divine, his taking on human flesh, we see that he identifies now completely with humanity, because he is 100% human, but he's doing it without sin. And we see now that this part of the Creator, is now part of his own creation. So my question to you is, besides, you know, some of the details of how does that work, because it's hard for us to understand that my question is, was God lacking in that understanding before he took on that role?
Bennett Holloway 18:07
So your, your question is, was Jesus?
Tuck Choate 18:10
Was God the Father? Yeah. Was God the God God? triune? God, right? Was he lacking in some way of the knowledge of what it was to be human before he was human?
Bennett Holloway 18:23
No. So Jesus Christ stepping down, wasn't so that he can better understand us. It was so that we can be confident in him. And we can relate with him. So as as, as an example of flesh out the Word became flesh, right, we got to see Jesus who was tempted in all things that we're tempted with, and yet did not sin. And so we get a display, a fulfillment of the very real of God lived out on this earth in perfection. And so not only do we are we told by his word, or is it revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, but we're also it's revealed to us through the Holy Spirit in observation of Jesus Christ, whom was empowered by the Holy Spirit, doing everything the Father commanded Him to do. And so, g God is never lacking. All right, God does not need any He is all powerful, all sufficient, all knowing. And yet he chose, which almost even more beautifully describes why he would because he didn't need to, but he desired to because we couldn't do the very thing that was needed to overcome the thing that was done by Adam and Eve in the first place. Because so he became that perfect sacrifice. He who did not know sin became sin so that we may experience that propitiation for the sin. have an opportunity to experience His grace and mercy and have a deep, deep sense of love that will never understand. He loved us. And that's the place that we get the source of even loving him for. And so did he need to come down because of a lack of understanding? No, I wouldn't articulate it that way. But the consequences of him coming are really for all of us observing. That's how I think I would describe that.
Tuck Choate 20:36
So I know, at Christmas time, we often romanticize the nativity scene, right? We see him in the front yards. rooftops, my wife sent me minimalistic nativity scenes where there's just, you know, plain blocks, and you know exactly what it is. Yeah. But he talked about how the incarnation is so much more important, the birth the God becoming flesh. But I think that's difficult for us to wrap our heads around, how can we become more? You know, to be able to see this and hold on to that? And can we make a minimalistic scene that we can put on our front yards of this incarnation? To be spreading that to, to our neighbors to our friends? How can we focus on that instead of, you know, Jesus as a baby?
Bennett Holloway 21:31
So a couple of things that I would encourage someone towards as they're thinking through worshiping Jesus Christ, or even acknowledging him in the season, because I think that's ultimately what culture will point us towards, hey, it's a birthday party, right? And even for our children, that's that's a degree of that's, that's the beginning point of excitement. Because in Easter, we acknowledge that really, it's his funeral and resurrection. Right. And so having to have been born is a good introduction. But the way that I would challenge people to think through it, I guess is I would ask them a series of questions that would lead them down the road of hopefully understanding more deeply the significance of Emanuelle of God being with us. And so the first thing I would ask is, who is Jesus to you? Instead of looking at maybe a snapshot of this moment, or the season of this manger, the scene, I would ask the question of who is Jesus to you? And the world will paint him many different things. And even Dr. Ewart and I love this quote by CS Lewis is he's he's either he's either
Tuck Choate 22:51
a lord a liar, lunatic. And
Bennett Holloway 22:54
yeah, I was gonna read, I was gonna reorder them, because I like that he's either a liar, a lunatic or Lord, like those, those three were from CS Lewis. And so it's like, they and he was either he was either completely incorrect, and he knew it. And he was trying to get power, even though he got nothing but the cross. Right. And then same thing for the apostles, all they got was brutal deaths. He was either lying completely, or he was absolutely crazy. Or he really was who He said He was. And what's interesting about the lunatic concept is I would say, I would actually believe that if, when you can look at an individual. But when you look at the consequences, immediately following the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, than the persecution of the church, this this idea that not only okay Jesus was a lunatic, but then all of his disciples became lunatics to his level, and then the other, the church all became looted. So it's almost like it would be very difficult to completely brainwash hundreds and 1000s of people that were being killed for professing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And so that becomes increasingly difficult to even contemplate. And so when I sit down, think of liars and lunatics, both of them disqualify each other because most people live for gain, and they gained nothing like gain the death, painful death and persecution, or they're a little bit crazy, but how, how are really crazy, but that inevitably that that charade would end people would wake up to the reality of this isn't true and, and there would inevitably someone, someone to say, Wait, he's not it. And so when we look at that, the only one I and the one I'd wholeheartedly believe it, he's Lord. And so for you is, who is Jesus who is Jesus? And then then Next thing I want to ask is who's God? Who is God? Is he the Creator. And because if we believe as God in flesh, if we believe in in Galatians, chapter four, that God sent forth his Son, if we believe John three significantly believe the Word of God, really, that's what I'm getting at, is if you believe the, the authority, and the perfection of the Word of God, then you get to believe that Jesus Christ was both fully man and fully God. Because that passage right there, that he was sent forth his Son, divine nature, okay, sent forth his Son, born of a woman, human nature, also born under the law. Okay, so you we see His humanity in this verse, and we also see his divinity, in this passage. And so, thinking through who Jesus is why God sent him, the fact that he was born of a woman, but sent by his father, and understanding the price that was paid the perpetuation of the sin that we deal with, ultimately leads to us leads us to salvation is only available through receiving surrendering the grace that Jesus Christ has made available to you and me, for the sins of the world for our sins as individuals. And so confessing with our mouth, believing in our hearts, the story of Jesus Christ, but also surrendering Lordship to him, living by his word, executing and pursuing the seven virtues, these byproducts of being a kingdom seeker. And these things are the consequences of Emmanuel, God with us, and the freedom and the deliverance from, from the the impact of sin, and the consequences of sin, spiritually, our ally, I mean, the all of these things are made available through Christ, so that we may have a relationship and be empowered by the Holy Spirit and spend all of eternity in His presence and live in a way that's in pursuit of Christ's likeness. And it's only by his power and for His glory. And so when we understand that, because in order to experience salvation, you have to believe that it was God sent, right. And then but but to understand the hope of this, this difficult Lost World, the fact that he was man was a key component of the propitiation. So the blood that was shed, it couldn't, he couldn't just be God, he had to be God and man, because he took my place. He took what I deserved. He read the consequences of my sin. And yet his spotless, he's blameless, he is perfect. And he was divine. And so that's how it can reshape hopefully, for you. And for me, this idea of it's not just a birthday, it is right it is. But it's not just a birthday. It's so much more than that. And the consequences are eternal.
Tuck Choate 28:23
Practically speaking, how do we how do we demonstrate that? And I'm thinking specifically like for our children, how do I get them from, you know, this is a time of Santa's, and gifts and things like that? How can we how can we practically demonstrate that and develop in them a time that we're moving away from that birthday party, that Santa's mentality towards a Jesus? A God a focus on the eternal?
Bennett Holloway 28:50
Yeah, just just to give you an encouragement. So my kids ages right now, some of them are really young. And some I mean, they're eight through three right now. And so, for us, we do still we bake a cake on Christmas Day morning. And so we do bake it. We don't do as much of the Santa stuff. Honestly, we don't do that. But we do celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ because it drives us back to the narrative of the purpose of this. The night before we even do a little like we've started doing this, a little family candlelight, actually came out of COVID. We started doing this little candlelight service in our home, were all the kids and we sing carols before we go to bed, about who he is, and when he's done and we read the Christmas story, the actual birth of Christ in our Bible. And so we we've established these traditions, but every single one of them are centered around Christ. So I would strongly encourage one anytime we're wanting to replicate or teach or emphasize anything in the lives of our children at a young age. We have to accept and prioritize those in our own lives and our own Yeah. Right. And so if my number one priority is all the stuff, and all the presents, and not the giving, or the sacrificial disposition of the season, or the season of thanksgiving and gratitude of the sending of a son, and all the sudden I just try at the very end, oh, but it's also about Jesus, then that's going to be difficult, it's gonna be difficult transportation, right. And so if if we keep the main thing, the main thing personally, even in our marriage, even in the season, because it can, it can be easy to get wrapped up in all the other stuff right? Or get distracted, then I think it's a little bit easier to teach our kids. And so let's say, let's say you don't start this at a young age, let's say you got early teens, let's just say that, like, Man, I really want to correctly prioritize Christmas, I haven't done it in the first 10 years of their life, 13 years of their life, I'd like to start now, the word of encouragement to you is, there is no better time to start than today. Right? There's no better time to start anything than today. Start it now. If you feel a conviction, or leading by the Holy Spirit, man, I want to better prioritize the worldview and I want to contribute to the shaping of the worldview of my child, from the context of Scripture, not from the context of culture, then the way you start is today. And so I would intentionally build towards Christmas, I would read scripture, I would be praying for it. And I would make everything generosity focused, outwardly focused. Because if we can begin teaching our children and ourselves at a young age, about the significance of giving a gift of sharing our joy, of thinking about the needs of other people, then it's an easier connection to the disposition of the Father, in the sending of His Son, and the willingness and acknowledgement of Jesus Christ, expecting Calvary when he came, I think that's a key. And so it'll be much easier to connect those dots, and the next generation or even in our family, regardless of age, if that priority is more than just a moment or a day, but in the season, that is a natural overflow of Thanksgiving, and November, into an outward focus generosity in December. And
Tuck Choate 32:17
I want to echo what you said that there's no better time than then right now. I was reading a book a few months ago, and it was about family worship. And there was a point that he made, the author made that said, this is specifically towards men, we have this kind of inherently built in us this, this effort to not be wrong. And when we are wrong, that difficulty that we have in correcting that and he said if you are a family that does not do family worship, it's sometimes hard to start because in starting, you're kind of admitting, acknowledging to your wife, to your family, to your children that I've we haven't been doing this and we need to be. But I would encourage you that sometimes all it takes is just having that conversation, bringing it up once especially with with the spouse and saying I'd like us to do this a little bit differently. Most of the time, that spouse that has that same mindset, with you, or at least are close enough to say, Sure, we'll give it a try. And you can turn that around, you can make something better you can start today, there's
Bennett Holloway 33:24
a there's a discipline that I think is biblical, that would be used to describe this. It's called repentance, right? And so if we can get to the point to where we're comfortable, even repenting, and acknowledging that we've changed the way that we see or are thinking about this topic, right. And it may be it may not be the point where you're ascending, but if you're Miss prioritizing, coming to a point to being willing and humble enough to say, we used to see it this way, but we're going to change things and prioritize it this way. This is a discipline that only we need privately. But if displayed from the top down, especially through the Father, is a teaching lesson to the children, about one acknowledging when things weren't be doing haven't been done right and making a shift and a change. But also, it'll open up opportunities to have that same dialogue about things of sin. And so weaving that repentance concept in everything we do. It's a key, it's a key of what you're describing.
Tuck Choate 34:21
Yeah. And for our children to be able to see that we can acknowledge a mistake that we've made, and correct it gives them permission to do to do that for themselves, and then also to acknowledge it to us as well. Speaking of children, you know, one of the big things that comes out of this is that we are adopted as heirs as sons and daughters to Christ and it gives us that, that difference of a life. You know, he differentiates that we were we were slaves to sin, and we are now sons and daughters of God. How has that look in our lives that the difference between our roles,
Bennett Holloway 35:04
the way that I would describe it is the significant impact of coming from dead to alive, the passage that I would gravitate towards there. And I think it describes and illustrates it again, in a way that maybe it's from a different angle, the same concept that we see as being adopted into being a son or an heir. The other passage that I think is a great one to look at is in Ephesians, chapter two. And it starts in verse four, but God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead, in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, by grace, you have been saved, and raise us up with Him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So we see in Galatians, chapter four, that parallel concept we see in the book of Ephesians chapter two. So it says that in chapter four, by the fullest time God sent forth the son born of a woman born in the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, right, the law brings death, right? Because we're incapable of measuring up to it, you break one, you ruin it all. You deserve death, the consequences of sin is death, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and a son than an heir. Through God. And so we see this parallel concept of being an heir to the throne, being adopted as children, as sons and daughters of the King, in Ephesians, were lifted and receded with Jesus and heavenly places. That description that we see of Jesus at the end, post resurrection post ascension is all things are placed beneath his feet, he rule and he rules and he reigns, and He intercedes on behalf of us from a position of absolute sovereignty, absolute authority, the name above all names right Jesus's there, it says, We are seated with Him in heavenly places, we are heirs in both Galatians and Ephesians. We are heirs. What does this mean? What does this birthright mean? What are the consequences of being born again, of being spiritually reborn, and now adopted as children of God, our Abba, Father, and this is this just what is absolutely crazy to me is that God loves messed up Bennett, so much that he added, it was out of that love, that he came in pursuit of adopting me. And not only that, but even if that was the only thing he did, I probably, I definitely would not have still chosen him. But he were, the Holy Spirit had to draw me unto saving knowledge, because I was dead. And now I'm made alive by Christ. And so when we're balancing these two passages of Galatians, chapter four, in Ephesians, chapter two, we're seeing this building block of an eternal understanding of God's glory in His redemption process, all because of his love of His creation, that doesn't deserve it. It's unmerited. It is grace in its purest form, sending His Son. And so when I think through Easter, when I think through the resurrection, when I think through my own salvation, when I pray for the salvation of children, when I pray for the salvation of my neighbor's, when I pray for salvation of those I come across with that do not yet know the hope that is available. These are the things that just remind me of the absolute excitement, and the honor that it is for me to be a son of the king. And that's so contradictory to one the schemes of the enemy, and the narrative of the culture. Right. It's contradictory to the things that I'm inundated with majority of my time outside the walls of this church, and majority of my time in the walls of my own brain, right. And so I'm inundated with these things that are contradictory to I'm a child of the kin I've been pursued and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, he stepped down onto Earth was born of a woman who lived a perfect life and endured all temptation that I fail at day in and day out. And then yet he chose Calvary. He chose the cross He was crucified and buried and that he overcame death itself. The only thing that I mean we none of us, none of us are going to be capable of overcoming death but Jesus Christ, fully God, and fully man experienced that thing that none of us can avoid, and also provided the very solution, there was display, and the hope of resurrection in our own lives eternally in his presence for all of time. And so the fact that I'm a son, I'm an heir to the throne. That just, it is the hope. It has pivoted around Calvary, it is initiated to the sending of a son, Emmanuel, God with us. And it is it is the focus for me of the season. It is the driving emphasis of our home and in our church. And so that's, that's, that's what's so interesting about where we find ourselves contextually a temple, in New Bern in the season in the United States. 2023. What we're looking at is it right now, there is a pathway of least resistance to the only thing that can heal, save and provide a culture that is hungry, and starving, that is sick, and as dead as the gospel. And it's, they want it. They may not know that this is what they need. But they are much less defensive and willing to even get a taste, to try to attend to be receptive about conversation about the birth of Jesus. So what's interesting here is as a as a believer in Jesus Christ, at Temple, we make Jesus known, right, this is one of the virtues that we do we make Jesus known. We live by the Bible, we make Jesus known. And we pray continually. And so one of the things that I would challenge every listener to there's just a Pray without ceasing over a person in their life that they know, doesn't have salvation has not yet been adopted, or they don't know if they are or not, that is in their current realm of influence, right? We don't get to go crazy here, then go hit the streets with posters, just your current existing realm of influence. Do you know where everyone's destined. And if you don't pray for a burden, to strike up that dialog, and invite them to church, invite them to a service. And then when you invite them to a service key next step, ask them questions about the content that was discussed. Jump on Temple talk and listen to the podcast episode after that sermon, and pontificate a little bit more about who Jesus is, and what he's done. And pray that the Holy Spirit uses these conversations. Your job doesn't end when they go to church, because they went there, and of invitation by you. So the Lord is going to continue to use this dialogue and conversation as it transfers into hopefully life transforming decisions that the Holy Spirit one enables, but that they respond to by invitation of the
Tuck Choate 43:08
Gospel. For many people, this is the one time that they will go to church, this is it. They they don't know anything else, they may not have a place that they go each year, or at least maybe easy enough to change if they're going with somebody. But this is the time that they will go and you can be a part of that by reaching out and actually saying something. What's
Bennett Holloway 43:31
right, so it's an easier invite, Christmas and Easter. It's an easier invite. And there's a lot of nostalgia around Christmas, there's a lot of good memories of time with family are ones that maybe don't live anymore, that passed away. And so it's a beautiful people are more willing to engage in things that stir up those good memories, but also recognize it's a season where people may be struggling. So the exact same hope is available in both camps, right. One of them is they're lost, and the missing it. And there's things of the season that bring good memories to mind. So they're willing to entertain it. They're less defensive. The other side of it is they've gone through death. Someone that they know has passed. I mean, they've gone through a divorce. Maybe they've gone through a diagnosis. Something has happened around this season. That has led to it being more difficult. Something has happened in their life where this is the first Christmas that maybe they don't have a certain person sitting around the tree with him or sitting with him at church or sitting with him at the dinner table. And so the very hope that comes Because of salvation of the joy of Emanuel, the very hope that comes from this also meets the needs of this dark season in this difficult time in the lives of people. And that's what's so beautiful about the gospel attack. That's what it quite simply, is the answer to everything, every single thing. And so my prayer is that we are a church, we are a people that are unapologetic, that are intentional, and how we do it, that were prayed up, and anointed to do it. But we're unapologetic in the pursuit of making Jesus known. We seize opportunities that the Lord puts on our path, do not waste people that is put in our realm of influence in our workplace. In our friend group in our home, and we allow Jesus to speak through us, as we care for people and share the Gospel. And
Tuck Choate 45:57
the same God that have 1000 year plan for bringing Jesus into this world is the same God that has a plan that unbeknownst to us, has been working in the background, maybe softening a heart, getting us ready to get to a place, whether it is at this church at that spot in our job at that place in our family, that can then bring about a salvation in a person as well. Yeah,
Bennett Holloway 46:22
I think I think it'll shift our perspective, if we actually allow the sovereignty of God to play a role in our mundane Monday. So if God is sovereign, okay, and if God truly did send His Son into this world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, John 317, if we, if we believe him and take him at his word, and also by his example, if we've experienced salvation itself, and our benefactors of being empowered by the Holy Spirit, if we've if we've received the joy, hope and peace that comes from saving knowledge, and also the humility that comes from a need to repentance, and be saved in the first place, right? If we're, if we're a benefactor of all these things combined, then we have to understand that there are such a thing as divine appointments, that that talk where you are, in every single moment, if stewarded rightly, it could possibly be exactly where God wants you to be. And every person that you speak to every relationship that you have, every trial that you go through every trial that you grow through. Each of these can be divinely appointed and opportunities, that not only display the goodness of who God is, but also allow you the opportunity to see God be glorified by His power, through His sovereignty, through an empty broken vessel, such as yourself. And so if we, if we maybe, let's take him for let's try, right, then we assume tomorrow, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, 100. person you talk to God intentionally wanted to cross your path? How to steward how encouraging, how are we elevating? How are we allowing Jesus to speak through us in the lives of the people that we see day in and day out? I think things will look very different. In our community, in our culture, in our country, and in the world. If we lived through that worldview of Emmanuel, God with us, he came and if we live as he lived, if we pursue as he pursued, if we live as He loved the way we've been loved, I think we'll see something very different. It would amazing.
Tuck Choate 49:05
Love it. Well, friends, that is all the time we have for this week's episode, I want to end on that note. So I want to thank everyone for diving into God's perfect timing and his sovereign plan and sending Jesus with us. We want to thank you all for tuning in to Temple talk. We love having these meaningful discussions with you. If you have any follow up questions or want to connect further, please don't hesitate to reach out you can find us at Temple dot church. Or you can email us at Temple talk at Temple dot church we would love to hear from you. Also, if you enjoyed the show, the best way you can support us is by subscribing and leaving us a quick rating or review. This helps other people to discover the podcast. And while you're at it, share it with a few friends that were word of mouth goes a long way. So thank you again for listening. We look forward to connecting next time. Until then, may the grace and peace of Christ December. Thank you for joining Joining us for another episode of Temple talk. We hope that Digging into God's Word together has enriched your perspective and broad encouragement. If you have any questions or topics you'd like to hear discussed on the podcast, feel free to email them at Temple talk at Temple dot church. You can also visit our website at Temple dot church for more resources. We pray God will continue to bless you and your loved ones as you seek Him in Scripture. We'll see you next time on Temple Talk.